English Exam Questions (it’s definitely one of these)

Both: Likely
Both: Unlikely
Streetcar
Faustus

 Discus how moral and/or ethical issues are explored in at least two of the works you
have studied.
 Discuss the significance of a pivotal moment, shift or turning point in at least two of
the works you have studied.
 In what ways do at least two of the works you have studied (in form and/or content)
question or subvert norms, conventions or traditions?
 Many works are concerned with human suffering. How has this concern been
expressed in a way that engages audiences of various times and/or places in at least
two of the works you have studied?
 Tension often builds to a critical point in a piece of literature. How is tension created
in at least two of the works you have studied and for what purpose?
 Explore the presentation and significance of jealousy in at least two works you have
studied.
 In what ways do the form and content of at least two works you have studied reflect
the time and place in which they were written?
 In what ways have at least two of your writers explored the role of the individual
within society and what conclusions might be drawn from these explorations?
 To what extent do at least two of the works you have studied show that an individual
is in control of his or her own destiny?
 How can examining a literary work from different perspectives enrich our
understanding of both the work and the techniques used by the writer? Base your
answer on at least two of the works you have studied.
 Discuss the significance of particular times, places or events from real life, either
mentioned or implied, in at least two of the works you have studied.
 Discuss whether or not the endings/conclusions of at least two of the works you have
studied are satisfactory.
 Appearances can be deceptive. Discuss the relevance of this statement in regard to at
least two of the works you have studied.
 Pride can lead to failure and self-destruction or to accomplishment and self-
fulfillment. Discuss the presentation of pride and its consequences in at least two of
the works you have studied.
 Writers often choose words, phrases and names of characters and places not only for
their literal meaning, but for further meanings that they may suggest to the reader.
With reference to at least two of the works you have studied, discuss how such words
and their associations contribute to your understanding and appreciation of the works.
 How have writers used narrative voice and/or characterization to explore a social or
intellectual concern in at least two works you have studied?
 In what ways may a work’s stylistic features (the writer’s use of language, literary
conventions, devices, etc.) add to or detract from its popularity over time? Discuss
with reference to at least two works you have studied.
 To what extent could at least two works you have studied be considered works of
protest?
  With reference to at least two of the works you have studied, analyze the techniques
used by writers to evoke an emotional response in the reader.
 How are challenges to authority presented in at least two of the works you have
studied, and what impact have such challenges had on readers or audiences?
 The personal history of an author can have a significant influence on the way meaning
is constructed in his/her writing. Comment on specific instances of such influence in
at least two of the works you have studied.
 Examine the presentation of male and female views of the central concerns or issues
in at least two of the works you have studied, and discuss the ways in which these
views differ.
 It could be argued that in some societies or cultures women are at a disadvantage to
men or even actively discriminated against. To what degree is this evident in the way
women are represented in at least two of the works you have studied?
 The depiction of violence in some form (cultural, political, physical, psychological,
etc.) is a central preoccupation of many works of literature. In at least two of the
works you have studied discuss how violence is depicted and explore its significance.
 How do authorial choices regarding setting (time and place) create order and
influence meaning in at least two of the works you have studied?
 In the past it was believed that literature achieved its importance due to its ability to
show people the way to goodness and virtue. To what extent can this be said of the
importance of at least two of the works you have studied?
 Show how and to what effect at least two of the writers whose works you have
studied make use of myth, legend or other stories and tales.
 What is the significance of “the getting of money” in at least two works you have
studied, and how is it represented?
 Show how belief or faith is represented in at least two of the literary works you have
studied and discuss how this aspect might be interpreted or understood in different
historical, cultural or social contexts.
 Why are the works you have studied considered “literary” texts? Identify and discuss
some of the features that make at least two of the texts you have studied literary.
 Context – historical, cultural or social – can have an influence on the way literary
works are written or received. Discuss with reference to at least two of the works you
have studied.
 Literary works often show men and women struggling to resolve problems and not
succeeding very well. To what degree do you find this to be true in at least two of the
works you have studied?

UNUSED ONES

 Explore the role minor characters play in the development of major characters in at
least two of the works you have studied.
 To what effect have writers used death or dying in at least two of the works you have
studied?
 How does a physical journey contribute to at least two of the works you have studied?
 How and to what effect has childhood been explored in at least two of the works you
have studied?
 Explore how women are represented as stronger than men in at least two of the works
you have studied.
 How and to what effect are strangers or strangeness represented in at least two of the
works you have studied?
 Discuss how one or more of the formal characteristics of a genre influence meaning in
at least two of the works you have studied.
 Show how aspects of at least two of the works you have studied can be better
understood with a knowledge of the time and context in which they were written.
 What techniques did at least two of your writers use to convey the “thoughts” of their
characters, narrators or speakers and to what effect?
 How and why might at least two of the works you have studied be considered
inspirational?
 How do the writers of at least two of the works you have studied convey a sense of
place to their readers and to what purpose?
 Analyze the role non-human elements play in at least two of the works you have
studied.
 Some say ignorance is bliss. How is “not knowing” presented in at least two of the
works you have studied and to what effect?
 How do at least two of the writers you have studied foreshadow events or ideas to
come later in their works, and what is the effect of such foreshadowing?
 To what effect is contrast and/or juxtaposition used in at least two of the works you
have studied?
 Identify some of the forms intolerance can take, and discuss how its effects on both
the victims and the intolerant are presented in at least two of the works you have
studied.
 Often the appeal for the reader of a literary work is the atmosphere a writer creates
(for example, peaceful, menacing or ironic). Discuss some of the ways atmospheres
are conveyed and to what effect in at least two of the works you have studied.
 In what way(s) can the term “artificial” be applied to at least two of the works you
have studied?
 Referring to at least two of the works you have studied, discuss both how and why the
text invites the reader to identify with situations, characters and/or ideas.
 How is “home” depicted in at least two of the works you have studied and what is its
significance?
 Discuss the pursuit of happiness in at least two works you have studied.
 In what ways do the families depicted in at least two works you have studied help you
to understand cultural similarities and differences?
 Irony can be used for either humorous or tragic effect. To what purpose has irony
been employed in at least two works you have studied?
 Discuss the significance of the rural and/or the urban in at least two of the works you
have studied.
 With reference to at least two of the works you have studied, show how sub-plots or
secondary themes contribute to the reader’s understanding and appreciation of the
work as a whole.
 “Nature is fleeting and life is in a state of flux.” What is the significance of brevity
and/or change in at least two of the works you have studied?
 Symbols can help a writer convey ideas, develop characters, establish atmosphere,
etc. To what effect were symbols employed in at least two of the works you have
studied?
 Show some of the ways in which the writers of at least two of the works you have
studied enable the reader/audience to discern a meaning that is only implied.
 Texts originally produced in a culture or in a language different from that of the
reader’s can have a strong impact. With close reference to at least two of the texts you
have studied, show how they challenge the reader to see the world in a new way.
 Plays are meant to be staged; poems are often read aloud, and books are often made
into movies. What aspects of at least two of the works you have studied would appeal
to an audience’s eyes or ears?
 Can the ends ever be said to justify the means? Consider the ways in which this idea
is explored or discussed in at least two of the works you have studied.
 Looking closely at how weakness and strength are represented in at least two of the
works you have studied, discuss the significance of the relationship between the two.
 Time of day or time of year are often presented by a writer in such a way as to support
ideas in the work, to develop character or to establish mood, atmosphere, etc. In what
ways is time used effectively in at least two works you have studied?
 “Working together” or “standing on your own two feet” – how do either or both of
these ways of behaving reflect the cultural contexts of at least two works you have
studied?
 Writing is both an art and a craft, where form and content are carefully constructed
and language and style artistically embellish the whole. Discuss in what ways at least
two works you have studied effectively combine both art and craft.
 A work can be critically acclaimed in one culture and be banned in another. Discuss
how at least two works you have studied might lend themselves to various receptions.
 Tension is often created between “new” and “old”. To what effect do writers make
use of such tension in at least two works you have studied?
 Works of literature can teach us something that may not have been originally
intended. To what extent have you found this to be true in at least two of the works
you have studied?
 In what ways is the reader seduced or comforted by the ideas in the works studied and
in what ways challenged or alienated? Refer to at least two of the literary works you
have studied.
 How do at least two of the works you have studied show that good can come out of
destruction or violence?